Sony’s President, Hiroki Totoki, recently announced that the company is reevaluating its approach to PlayStation’s live service games due to development challenges that have already impacted the progress of Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us multiplayer game.
During a financial call, Totoki stated that Sony is reviewing the 12 live service PlayStation games currently in development, committing to releasing only six of them by the end of the financial year 2025, which falls on March 2026. Totoki emphasized the importance of quality for gamers and indicated that the launch dates for the remaining six games are still under consideration.
In February 2022, Sony revealed plans to launch over 10 live service games by March 2026, with a focus on diversifying genres and appealing to varied audiences. This initiative involved significant studio acquisitions, including Destiny developer Bungie, Jade Raymond’s Haven Studios, and Firewalk Studios. As part of the collaboration with Bungie, Sony adjusted some live service projects based on Bungie’s expertise from the Destiny series.
One of the challenging projects is The Last of Us multiplayer game, led by its dedicated game director. Despite facing delays, there’s renewed hope for its eventual release.
Additionally, Bungie is working on Marathon, a sci-fi extraction shooter with a PvP focus, while Haven Studios and Firewalk Studios are developing Fairgame$ and Concord, respectively, both centered around sci-fi PvP multiplayer gaming experiences. Guerrilla is overseeing a Horizon multiplayer game, and PlayStation’s London Studio is crafting a co-op action game.
Sony’s Hermen Hulst acknowledged the fierce competition in the live service game space and emphasized the studios’ commitment to delivering quality games tailored for diverse audiences.
Amid the changes, Sony Interactive Entertainment is experiencing significant shifts, including recent layoffs at Bungie and Media Molecule. Notably, Insomniac’s release of Spider-Man 2 has been a success, and PlayStation 5 continues to outperform its console competition.
Wesley, the UK News Editor for IGN, can be found on Twitter at @wyp100. For inquiries, contact Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].
